Listen to this articleDr. Robert Moolman, executive director of the Utah Pride Center, asked the group’s board of directors to begin a search to replace him. In a letter to the board, Moolman said that he would stay on as E.D. until a replacement has been found and a transition made.
“As I make the request for the search to begin for the person to take what we have built to the next level, my commitment and dedication to the board and the team of people we have at the Center continue. I will remain as long as the Center needs me and as long as it takes to ensure a smooth transition, maintaining the continued essential work of the Center,” Moolman wrote.
Chris Jensen, chair of the group’s board, thanked Moolman for the work he put into building the Center.
“The Utah Pride Center Board and staff thanks Dr. Rob Moolman for his service and important life-saving work. During his tenure as executive director/CEO, Rob was instrumental in reshaping the course and trajectory of the Center, leaving it in a stronger position and able to better meet the needs of Utah’s LGBTQIA+ community,” Jensen wrote. “Rob helped usher in a revamped and massively popular and important SAGE program, [and] brought in a formal Education and Training Department focusing on schools and teachers in Utah. He was excited by the Queer History society and has been passionate about the People of Color program, which also started in his tenure. Rob constantly strived to develop relationships with broader community stakeholders through events like the Qmmunity Brunch, the LatinX Round Table, and others. He was successful in bringing a more diverse community and staff to the UPC. We look forward to a community-involved nationwide search for our next executive director/CEO.”
The Utah Pride Center is in its 29th year with a declared vision to ensure “a thriving LGBTQ+ community in Utah.”
Jensen said the search for Moolman’s replacement will be done in “a manner that befits the gravity and importance of this position and of this space.”
A sub-committee of the organization’s board with representation from a wide variety of stakeholders, including diverse community members and voices, ex-board members and chairs, donors and executive directors, and leaders from other non-profits will conduct the nationwide search.
“The search will have both a national focus and a community focus, with the intent to ensure a wide and diverse pool of candidates,” Jensen said. “In this regard, the Utah Pride Center will also be working with Centerlink, the national body representing and advising Pride Centers, on successful recruitment strategies and processes.”
When a group of candidates is found, local LGBTQ+ community listening panels or focus groups will be gathered to meet the final candidates and to provide insight to the process and to include their voices.
The final important decision, Jensen said, will be up to the board of directors as mandated by the group’s bylaws.
Reporting directly to the board of directors and working closely with the Center’s executive team, the future executive director/CEO will develop and implement the strategic vision for the organization, and ensure the growth of its diverse 15-person team and its $1.5 to $2M budget. The role includes the general management and strategic planning for the Center, as well as fundraising, business development, and program management.
When the full job description is ready, it will be posted on the Utah Pride Center website.
An Equal Opportunity employer, the group says it will strongly encourage candidates of color and diverse gender identities, people with disabilities, as well as non-LGBTQ+ persons, to apply.
